Adapted by Peter McKinney, Jr.
YIELD: 4 - 6 servings
TIME: About 1 hour 20 minutes
'Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf' may be up there with 'Jumbo Shrimp' and 'Military Intelligence' as one of the greatest oxymorons of all time, but don't be fooled, this meatloaf is really amazing! With the added benefit of being really good for you too! Serve with peas and mashed potatoes. The left-overs make great sandwiches!
Ingredients:
¼ cup quinoa
½ cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1/2 C. zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 C. yellow squash, finely chopped
1/2 C. red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
1 large can tomato paste (2T. for the meatloaf, the rest for the glaze)
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon water
Preparation:
Step 1
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 3
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion and all the chopped veggies; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.
Step 4
Stir the turkey, cooked quinoa, cooked veggies, 2 T. of the tomato paste, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the remaining tomato paste, brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Spread the paste over the top of the meatloaf.
Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F. Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.